Raft Foundations

The raft foundation was invented in the 19th century. Its development was necessitated by engineering requirements to build tall buildings. The concept of the raft, or ‘floating foundation’, was soon adopted by engineers, who took advantage of its strength and stability. Initially, raft foundations were used for commercial and industrial developments. However, once the advantages of the concept were realised, the raft foundation became popular within residential developments. Today, raft foundations are mandatory as a type of foundation used for construction on soft ground, composed of a continuous slab of reinforced concrete below the entire surface. Al so known as a floating raft or or floating foundation, the foundation has a volume such that were that volume filled with soil, it would be equal in weight to the total weight of the structure. When the soil is so soft that even friction piles will not support the building load, the final option is the use of a floating foundation.

If you have appointed an engineer, please foward the raft design with bending schedules to furnish you with a quote. If you have not yet appointed an engineer our in-house engineer can design your raft foundation. Our quotes are broken down for easy interpretation and comparison with other suppliers quotes.